Former Catalan leader Puigdemont leaves German jail on bail

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Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont left jail in Germany after paying 75,000 euros bail on Friday.

"I would like to thank everyone for their help and solidarity,” he told reporters outside the Neumuenster prison.

He urged Madrid to immediately begin talks on a political solution to end the row

Catalonia's former leader Carles Puigdemont waves as he leaves the prison in Neumuenster, Germany, April 6, 2018. /Reuters Photo

"We have demanded dialogue for several years and we have only received violence and repression," Puigdemont told reporters. "There is no excuse for the Spanish authorities to start a political dialogue with the Catalan political leaders."

He also called for "the immediate release of all of my (Catalan) colleagues."

Earlier, Germany’s Schleswig-Holstein court rejected Spain’s extradition request on the charge of rebellion, but said it is still possible on the charge of misuse of public funds.

Spain's Supreme Court said on Friday it was considering consulting the European Court of Justice on a German court's decision.

People hold a poster and Estelada (Catalan separatist flag) in protest to support the release of former Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont in front of the prison in Neumuenster, Germany, April 3, 2018. /Reuters Photo‍

Puigdemont was detained in Germany on March 25 while crossing into Germany from Denmark on his way to Belgium, where he’s been staying since October after Catalonia’s independence crisis.

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